Malawi is planning to claim US$30 million from the African Risk Capacity Programme (ARCP), an international insurance organization, to buy maize for people negatively affected by drought.Malawi’s disaster management head Dyce Nkhoma told journalists in the capital Lilongwe on Saturday that there are fears that the majority of people could face hunger if dry conditions persisted in the country.
“This is the first time government tried to buy premium from an insurance company to assist its people who will be affected by either floods or dry spells by purchasing maize,” he said.
He noted that the Malawian government had for a long time relied on assistance from donors and well-wishers for food aid.
Malawi is among several southern African countries experiencing El Nino conditions that traditionally cause drought in the region.
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